Lis, who was promoted to CIO, multi-assets and equities, will step back from his full time role in March 2016. Connolly, who was previously CIO, fixed income, will take up the newly created role of CIO for liquid markets. According to Aviva the new role encompasses multi-assets, fixed income and equities.
Reporting in to Connolly will be James and Murphy, now the global heads of fixed income, and equities respectively and Peter Fitzgerald, who retains his role as global head of multi-asset.
Prior to their promotions, James was Global Head of Rates and Multi-Strategy Fixed Income, while Murphy as head of global income, equities.
James will continue to be co-fund manager of the AIMS Target Return Fund.
The three will comprise the firm’s newly-created investment leadership team and will lead each of their respective functions “with day-to-day responsibility for investment performance, people and processes, Aviva Investors said.
As part of the promotion, Connolly will pay a key engagement role in helping the business adapt to the evolving regulatory environment, the firm said, while Lis “will work closely with the Investment Leadership team to ensure a smooth transition and, after stepping down from his full-time responsibilities in March, he will continue to work with Aviva Investors in a consultative capacity.”
Aviva Investors CEO, Euan Munro, said of the changes: “Over the past two years, I have been encouraged by the healthy collaboration between our investment teams, and this has played a critical role in the success of our AIMS suite of multi-strategy funds. Bringing together the three liquid market investment teams under a single leadership structure will further strengthen the level of collaboration across the investment floor.”
